Marking machine



Aug .,15,'l967 H. H. AIKEN ETAL MARKING MACHINE 3 Shets-Sheet 1 FiledJan. 25, 1965 INVENTORS. HOWARD H. AIKEN ROBERT W. BIRRELL LEROY K.SITES, JR.

ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 15,1967 H. H. AIKEN ETAL MARKING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5;

Filed Jan. 25:. 196 5 FIG. 3A wWF "rub INVENTORS. HOWARD H AIKEN 58 FIG.3C

ROBERT w BIRRELL LEROY K. SITES, JR.

2s %g zwfl JIM, W

ATTORNEYS.

' g- ,1 H.'H.AIKEN ETAL I MARKING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan.2s, 1965' FIG. 7

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent @fi ice 3,335,699 MARKING MACHINE Howard H. Aikenand Robert W. Birrell, Carlisle, and Leroy K. Sites, Jr., NewBloomfield, Pa., assignors to Howard Aiken Industries, Carlisle, 1921.,a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 25, 1965, Ser. No. 427,692 6Claims. (Cl. 118-76) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A marking machine formarking each of a succession of blanks fed from one magazine to anotherso that each blank has the same marking thereon and wherein the markingtakes place simultaneously with the feeding stroke.

This invention relates to a marking machine, and more particularly, to amarking machine for marking each of a succession of blanks fed from onemagazine to another so that each blank has the same marking thereon. Theblanks may be quartz crystal wafers and the marking may indicate +X-axisof the crystal wafer blank.

In the production of crystal wafer blanks for frequency controlapplications as is now accomplished, the wafer blanks are sawed fromquartz and then the +X-axis is determined by manually rotating the blankrelative to a beam of polarized light. Alternatively, the +X-axis may beautomatically determined by a machine as disclosed in application Ser.No. 427,574, filed Jan. 25, 1965 and, assigned to the assignee of thisapplication. After determining +X-axis of each of the blanks, each blankis marked accordingly and is used in an X-ray operation to determine theZ-axis of the wafer blanks with a high degree of accuracy.

In an automatic machine for sorting the crystal wafer blanks such asdisclosed in the aforesaid application, the blanks having like X-axisorientation are collected in removable magazines, and the machine ofthis invention provides a means for marking each of the blanks afterthey have been sorted and collected in like magazines. Furthermore, themachine of this invention provides a unique arrangement for feedingblanks relative to a marker from a feed magazine and stacking the blanksin an identical receiving magazine, both magazines being interchangeableand removable. Also, the marking machine of this invention includes amarking pencil positioned beneath an unmarked blank feed magazine sothat as blanks are fed from the magazine one at a time they moverelative to the marker to cause the marker to mark them from the pointthe marker contacts the blank while in the magazine to the trailingedge. In one feed movement a blank is fed, marked and then collected ina collecting magazine.

Although this invention is described with regard to marking crystalwafer blanks, it is apparent that the principles have broaderapplication in the marking or scribing art and the invention is notlimited to the articles being marked.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the followingdescription and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention andthe best mode which has been contemplated of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the marking machine constitutingthe preferred embodiment of this invention with certain portions shownin section for the sake of clarity.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the feed slide used in the markingmachine of FIG. 1.

3,335,699 Patented Aug. 15, 19 67 FIG. 3A is a sectional view takenthrough the marking machines magazines, nests and feed slide showing thefeed slide at the start of the feed operation.

FIG. 3B is similar to FIG. 3A showing the feed slide near the end of thefeed stroke.

FIG. 3C is similar to a portion of FIG. 3B but showing the feed slide atthe end of the feed stroke.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 66 of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a crystal wafer blank with a mark thereonas made by the marking machine of this invention.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, the markingmachine of this invention is supported on a table 10. Attached to thetable is a bracket 12 for supporting an electric drive motor 14. Themotor 14 drives a shaft 16 which is connected to a drive eccentric disc18 which in turn is pivotally connected to one end of connecting rod 20.The other end of connecting rod 20 is pivotally connected to a feedslide 22 for reciprocating the slide as the motor 14 rotates the driveeccentric disc 18.

The feed slide 22 is guided by guide tracks 24, 24, see also FIGS. 5 and6. These guide tracks are generally L- shaped and overlie a track base25 which is attached to the top of the table 10.

A magazine 26 for unmarked blanks and an identical magazine 28 formarked blanks are removably positioned in nests 3i] and 32, which nestsare stationarily supported above the table by supports 31 and 33, seeFIG. 4, as well as FIG. 1. The magazines are held in the nests byidentical clamping means 34, 34. Each of the clamps 34 includes ahandled nut 36 on screw 38 and the screw is held in fixed portion 40 ofthe magazine holding nest, and clamping pad 42 is disposed as shown inFIG. 1 so that rotation of the handle 36 causes the clamping pad 40 toclamp or release the magazines in their respective nests. The nestsextend around three sides of the magazines and each magazine can movedownwardly into its nest until it rests upon a seat 44, see FIGS. 3A and3B.

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, magazine 26 includes unmarked crystal waferblanks CW while magazine 28 includes marked crystal wafer blanks CW,,,.The mark made on the crystal wafer blanks is shown in FIG. 7. Attachedto the nest 30 is an adjustable feed gate 4-6 including a feed controlfinger 48 extending downwardly toward the lower end of the nest. Thefeed finger 48 is adjustable vertically by means of a slot 50 thereinthrough which a screw 52 passes to be threadedly engaged by handled nut54. The lower end of the finger 48 is vertically adjusted so that only asingle wafer blank CW may be fed at a time, the finger serving to retainall above the lowermost blank which is being fed.

Adjacent the nest 32 is a collecting gate 56. This gate is supportedfrom a support bracket 58 attached to the table It) and the supportbracket carries vertical guide tracks 60, 6% attached thereto by screws61, see FIG. 5. The collecting gate 56 has a stop 63 extending attachedto the top thereof to stop the vertical downward movement. A collectedblank holding finger 64 extends downwardly as the lower end of thecollecting gate 56 to stop retrograde movement of the blanks after theyhave been fed into the collecting magazine 28 as shown in FIG. 3C, butfinger 64 is movable upwardly by sliding movement of gate 56 in tracks60', 60 to allow a marked blank CW to be inserted under the stack ofcollected marked blanks as shown in FIG. 3B.

A marker assembly 66 is positioned beneath the unmarked blank magazine26 as shown in FIG. 1. This marker assembly includes a tubular housing68 carrying therein a marking lead 70. The marking lead is supported ona slide 72 which is biased upwardly by a spring 74. A cap 76 with abayonet coupling closes the bottom of the tube 68 and the tube isclamped after adjustment to a suitable position by means of a Splitcoll;t 78 and tightening screw 81). The collet 78 is attached to theunderside of table by suitable screws 32.

An ejector plug assembly 84 is positioned beneath the marked crystalwafer blank magazine 28 to allow the wafers stacked in the nests to bemoved upwardly until they are all inside the magazine so that themagazine can remove all of the marked wafer blanks. This ejector plugassembly includes a tubular support 86 adjustably clamped by "a splitcollet housing 88 identical in construction to collet 78. A slidable rod90 carries on its upper end a plug 92 and is biased downwardly by spring94 carried between the lower endof tube 86 and a knob 96. The knob 96may be moved upwardly to cause the plug 92 to move upwardly forcing thestack of marked crystal wafer blanks CW to move upwardly past the seat44 in the lower end of the nest 32 so that a bottom closing arrangementon the magazine 28 may close off the opening at the lower end of themagazine and the entire magazine may be removed with the stack of markedcrystal wafer blanks CW This bottom closing means may be of the typeshown in copending application No. 427,574 and includes a slide assembly99 movable downwardly to move a finger, not shown, into the spacedefining the opening at the lower end of the magazine.

Referring to FIG. 2, the feed slide 22 includes a pair of edges 1%, 100extending outwardly to cooperate with the tracks 24, 24 to guide themovement of the slide. The slide further includes a central slot 98allowing the plug 92 and pencil lead 70/ to extend through the slideduring movements thereof. On each side of the slot 9 8 there is arecessed portion 102 for receiving the crystal wafer blanks. Therecessed portion has a flat bottom having a length equal to the lengthof the blanks.

The recess includes a square shoulder 104 at one end thereof and aninclined ramp 106 in the direction of feed at the other end thereof.

In operation, a pencil lead 70 is placed in the marker assembly 66 andthe marker assembly is adjusted while unmarked blanks contained inmagazine 26 are inserted in the machine and an empty magazine 28 isplaced in nest 32 to receive the blanks after marking. The motor 14 isstarted and the connecting rod reciprocates the slide 22 through astroke at least equal to similar points on magazines 26 and 28. Thestart of the stroke of the slide 22 is illustrated in FIG. 3A wherein anunmarked crystal wafer blank CW which is lowermost in the stack inmagazine 26 falls within recess 102 and as slide 22 moves forwardlyfinger 48 will retain the next highest blank while square shoulder 104will cause the lowermost blank to move to the left as viewed in FIG. 3A.The

pencil lead 70 bearing against the lower surface of the blank from thecenter thereof will leave a mark from the center to the trailing edge ofthe blank as shown in FIG. 7. The blank will continue moving to the leftas viewed in FIG. 3A and when it reaches the collecting finger 64, theblank bears against the inclined side thereof causing the collectinggate 56 to slide upwardly as viewed in FIG. 3B. The upper surface ofslide 22 normally supports the stack of marked crystal wafer blanks andallows the recently marked crystal wafer blank CW shown in FIG. SE to beinserted therebeneath. At the end of the stroke of the slide 22 as shownin FIG. BC, the surface of the last marked blank passes from under thecollecting gate 56 allowing it to fall downwardly until stop 63 stopsthe downward movement at which time collecting finger 64 is in the pathof the trailing edge of the last marked crystal wafer blank CW Then theslide 22 moves to the right as viewed in FIG. 3 and the last markedcrystal wafer CW lank at the bottom of the stack slides upwardly and theentire stack supported on it slides upwardly as the inclined ramp 106moves to the right until the entire stack is at the level of the top ofthe slide 22 and the slide 22 is returned to the position shown in FIG.3A.

After the motor has operated for a sufficient period of time to feed allof the blanks from magazine 26 across the marking lead to the magazine28, the ejector plug 92 is moved upwardly to above the seat 44 in thenest 32 so that the magazine 28 can be effectively closed at the bottomby the fingers, not shown, and the entire stack of marked blanks CW canbe removed to allow further processing, for example an X-ray operationto determine the Z-axis using the +X-axis which has been marked shown inFIG. 7 as a reference.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out thefundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the preferredembodiment, it will be understood that various omissions andsubstitutions and changes in the form and details of the deviceillustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the artwithout departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention,therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the followingclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for marking a line on each of a succession of blanks, themachine comprising:

first magazine means removably mounted in a magazine receiving nest forholding a stack of unmarked blanks faced downwardly,

a marker positioned upwardly in marking contact with the downward faceof the end blank in a stack of unmarked blanks in said unmarked blankstack holding means,

second magazine means identical to said first magazine means removablysupported in 'a magazine reeeiving nest for holding a stack of markedblanks,

feed means for feeding blanks one at a time from said stack of unmarkedblanks to cause marking thereon by means of the marker contacting theblank and movement of the blank relative to the marker,

said feed means comprising a reciprocating slide provided with a blankreceiving recess having a square shoulder for supporting and pushing ablank when the slide is reciprocated in a direction of feed and aninclined ramp to allow the slide to retract and leave the marked blankat a marked blank stack holding magazine.

2. A machine as defined in claim 1 further comprising collected blankholding means positioned above the reciprocating slide to hold the blankat the marked blank stack holding means when the slide is retracted.

3. A machine as defined in claim 2 wherein the marker is a biased pencillead positioned approximately at the center of the bottom-most blank inthe unmarked blank holding magazine so that when the blank is fed fromthis magazine, the blank will be marked from the center to its trailingedge.

4. A machine as defined in claim 3 further comprising a biased pusherrod positioned below the marked blank holdingmagazine to allow themarked blanks to be pushed up into this magazine prior to magazineremoval.

5. A marking machine for marking on each of a succession of blanks, themachine'comprising; a support, an unmarked blank magazine nest, a markedblank magazine nest, each of the nests supported from the support inspaced apart relation and each of the nests adapted to receive and holdidentical magazines, each magazine capable of holding a stack of blanks,a feed slide reciprocable in a path beneath the magazine nests on thesupport to'feed a blank from the unmarked blank magazine nest to theblank magazine nest, a marker positioned beneath the unmarked magazinenest to contact in marking relation the innermost blank in the unmarkedmag-azine nest, and means to retain the blanks fed by the reciprocatingslide at the marked blank magazine nest which blanks have been marked bythe movement relative to the marker, said feed slide including a blankreceiving recess having a square shoulder for supporting and pushing theblank when the slide is reciprocated in the direction of feed and aninclined ramp to allow the slide to retract and raise the marked blankand the marked blank stack into the marked blank stack magazine andwherein the retaining means comprises a collected blank holding fingerbiased downwardly to hold a fed blank at the marked blank holding nest.

6. A marking machine as defined in claim 5 further comprising anadjustable feed gate attached to the unmarked blank magazine nest forcontrolling the feed of only one blank at a time from the unmarkedmagazine nest 'by the feed slide.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Maxwell 27144 Partch 118-236 XTroyer 2146.2 Lasker 11876 X Iacquemin 118236 X Blaisdell 1l8236 XKnitter 2146.2 Mallory 2146.2 X Stohlquist 2146.2 X Clark 118--76 XStephens et al. 118428 Germany.

MORRIS KAPLAN, Primary Examiner.

1. A MACHINE FOR MARKING A LINE ON EACH OF A SUCCESSION OF BLANKS, THEMACHINE COMPRISING: FIRST MAGAZINE MEANS REMOVABLY MOUNTED IN A MAGAZINERECEIVING NEST FOR HOLDING A STACK OF UNMARKED BLANKS FACED DOWNWARDLY,A MARKER POSITIONED UPWARDLY IN MARKING CONTACT WITH THE DOWNWARD FACEOF THE END BLANK IN A STACK OF UNMARKED BLANKS IN SAID UNMARKED BLANKSTACK HOLDING MEANS, SECOND MAGAZINE MEANS IDENTICAL TO SAID FIRSTMAGAZINE MEANS REMOVABLY SUPPORTED IN A MAGAZINE RECEIVING NEST FORHOLDING A STACK OF MARKED BLANKS, FEED MEANS FOR FEEDING BLANKS ONE AT ATIME FROM SAID STACK OF UNMARKED BLANKS TO CAUSE MARKING THEREON BYMEANS OF THE MARKER CONTACTING THE BLANK AND MOVEMENT OF THE BLANKRELATIVE TO THE MARKER, SAID FEED MEANS COMPRISING A RECIPROCATING SLIDEPROVIDED WITH A BLANK RECEIVING RECESS HAVING A SQUARE SHOULDER FORSUPPORTING AND PUSHING A BLANK WHEN THE SLIDE IS RECIPROCATED IN ADIRECTIO OF FEED AND AN INCLINED RAMP TO ALLOW THE SLIDE TO RETRACT ANDLEAVE THE MARKED BLANK AT A MARKED BLANK STACK HOLDING MAGAZINE.